The Federal Oil and Gas Programs – No Need to Force More Leasing and Development

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The oil and gas industry and their political allies persistently argue that “the answer” to America’s energy needs is “more drilling” and “more access” to federal lands and waters. However, recent data from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Minerals Management Service (MMS) indicate that, though tens of millions of acres of onshore and offshore federal lands are already leased to oil and gas companies, the vast majority of these lands are not producing oil or gas. Though over 88 million acres of federal onshore and offshore lands are under lease for oil and gas development, most of those lands and waters – a whopping 65,176, 258 acres – are not producing oil and gas. Moreover, BLM data for FY 2008 indicates that though over 5,000 drilling permits were issued in FY 2008 for federal onshore lands, more than 1,500 permits went unused.